'Vaccine shortfall could force patients to streets'

Pakistan to start local production with China's help, says minister

KARACHI:

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Monday warned that if the government fails to procure vaccines, the situation in Pakistan could become critical, forcing patients onto footpaths. Speaking at the inauguration of Indus University North Karachi campus, he said that within the next two years, Pakistan will begin local vaccine production with support from China and other countries, and plans to eventually export vaccines.

The minister emphasised that healthcare is not merely about treating illness but preventing it. "Treatment in hospitals is sick-care; true healthcare starts from birth and focuses on disease prevention," he said. He highlighted Pakistan's rapidly growing population, projecting that by 2030 the country will surpass Indonesia in population, with over 62 million children born globally each year.

Mustafa Kamal noted that Pakistan currently has 13 million hepatitis patients, with approximately 10,000 new cases annually, including around 400 maternal deaths.

He criticised the inefficient local governance system, lack of attention to sewage treatment, and inadequate urban planning in housing schemes, calling the country's ecosystem a "disease-producing factory."